Isabelle pulled her thick hair up as she walked, using two hair tyes to hold it. She was exhausted after the long night, but the money in her pocket had certainly made it worth it.

It was a couple of hours until dusk and it would take her half that time to make it home. She had to stop at her favorite breakfast place on the way. But the clouds that loomed above told her that she should move quickly. She could smell the rain in the air and being that it had been growing warmer, she wasn't exactly ready for it.

She wore a red sweatshirt, that she had zipped all the way up. A bag at her shoulder held her clothes for the evening. She didn't trust the other girls. Her costumes were generally purchased with her own money and she didn't want to leave them. Her wallet was tucked away in her bra and her gun was on her hip, hidden well.

She didn't have license for it. She wasn't old enough. But being a stripper she had to know how to defend herself. She had taken karate, along with dance, as a teenager and had recently earned her black belt. However, she was smart enough to know that wouldn't always do the trick.

Isabelle cut down a familiar alley way, the sound of thunder following her in the distance. The least she could do was make it to the bus station before the rain started. She liked the walk, most of the time and was disappointed to cut it short but she couldn't get sick. She couldn't afford to lose the money missing work would cost her.

She sighed softly to herself and begin to walk faster, pulling her hood up over her head. At least it would keep her warm for a while.

OOC: I was a little confused about the timing of this thread... it says it's near dusk, but also that she stopped near a breakfast place. Hope you don't mind that I took the middle road and made it lunchtime.

Johnny Dabner didn't usually lunch in this part of Demaitre, but recently it had begun to behoove him to explore his city. Including--especially--the seamier parts. He munched on a Reuben as he walked, unafraid. Five-ten Johnny was stronger and meaner than his plain face and build might suggest. The threat, however minor at this hour, of young hoodlums did not bother him.

His brown eyes carefully took in his surroundings as he lazily chomped his sandwich and strolled, as calm as if he were downtown, through the more-than-slightly shady streets. It pleased him, for several reasons, that even this early there were a handful of whores at the corners. He passed one who halfheartedly called out to him. Though he seemed to ignore her, he studied her, fascinated by the utter boredom in her eyes.

Johnny was sure he knew a few ways to entertain her.

He wandered on, crumpling the wrapper and glancing for a handy place to toss it. There weren't many city-maintained trash bins in this part of Demaitre, however, so he stuck it in his pocket. He'd slowed down to look around, and had had the unfortunate timing of doing so directly in someone's path. She walked right into him.

"Whoa. Oh, I'm sorry," Johnny said quickly, taking a few steps backward. He smiled politely in apology, studying her carefully despite the faint embarrassment in his nondescript brown eyes.

((near dawn, crazy me! She just got off work. But I guess I can work with this... ^.^))

"No worries," Isabelle smiled up at him.

This was the third time this week she had met someone by running into them. Not that it wasn't uncommon in a busy city- but she seemed to be having a run of bad luck. Her friend said the stars weren't in her favor. She rolled her eyes at the thought. She didn't believe in all that crap.

Isabelle glanced about her, suddenly confused. She thought she had known where she was going, but she must have taken the turn before. She always got confused and in the daytime even more so. It might have been the other way around for any normal person, but Isabelle was used to this place at night and now she wasn't quite sure where she was. She frowned, then looked back up at the man still watching her, amber eyes curious yet distracted.

"Umm...do you know where I am? I must have taken a wrong turn. I'm trying to get to Harold's- it's a little breakfast place around here."

Gosh, what was going on with her these days? She was constantly distracted. Something was nagging at her, jumping around in her stomach and making her nervous. She was forgetting something.

"I'm sorry, but do you happen to know the day?" she asked before he could answer her prior question.

Johnny smiled again. "Okay," he replied agreeably. "But I just want to say, I don't usually plant myself in the path of others," he added, with the air of a man who didn't want to appear rude. His sandy eyes flickered over her once more, but quickly, not as if he was staring.

He brushed at his hair as the wind blew it over his eyes, his gold wedding band flashing briefly as he did so. She was a pretty little thing, wasn't she? It was almost like a gift, one could think, her being tossed into his path like this... Or he into hers, as it may be. Johnny blinked at her question. "I--" he began, breaking off as she spoke again.

"Wednesday," he answered after a moment's blank stare. Days of the week did melt together, didn't they? But, that reminded him, his daughter had a birthday party Friday... he'd best take her out for a gift tomorrow.

Johnny ticked 'kill the random stranger' off his mental list of things to do. He wouldn't have the time. "As for Harold's... I believe you're wanting a street down and two over," he gestured in the general vicinity. "I pass it on my way to work."

He might as well be hospitable, oughtn't he? "Would you like a ride?" Johnny asked politely, checking his watch. "I need to be back there--work--in a little bit, but this isn't a particularly nice part of town. It'd be safer for you if I dropped you off."

Isabelle smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, despite her distraction. He was an older man. Perhaps in his late thirties or early forties and he wore a wedding band.

"Oh, I wouldn't think of it. It's probably me, you know. I seem to be running into to everyone lately. You just happened to cross paths with walking karma."

Whether that was good or bad karma, she hadn't decided yet. Afterall, only good things had come out of it so far.

"If I had just taken a correct turn I might never have met you. But that would be a shame, wouldn't it? For then I would not have ever known the day," she eyed him playfully, her tone slightly flirtatious. Normally her comfort level with men was non existant, but perhaps it was the fact that he was married that made her feel so at ease.

"But I was curious as to the date of the month. Not the day of the week actually."

He offered her a ride and Isabelle hesitated. Of course it might be safer, but she didn't know the man. Never get into a strangers car. Her arm brushed the gun hidden at her hip and she relaxed a little. Besides, it was the middle of the day.

"Okay, I'd like that. Thank you."

OOC: [Johnny: *spazzes out* She thinks I'm FIFTY??]

Whore...

It breezed through his mind like dust through a cobweb as she smiled at him and spoke flirtatiously. He smiled in return, wondering what those bright amber-brown eyes would look like if he fixed his hands around her neck and squeezed. She would want it. They all did. Every one of them, whores to be used how he saw fit.

"If I had just taken a correct turn I might never have met you. But that would be a shame, wouldn't it? For then I would not have ever known the day."

Johnny laughed a little, self-deprecatingly replying, "I'm not so convinced it would be that much of a shame." He brushed at his hair again, thought vaguely about getting a cut. "It should be the... 12th. I think." Johnny spread his hands a little. "I'm sorry, I'm a little scatterbrained."

But he smiled again when she agreed to ride with him. How easily done. Almost pathetic she wasn't more careful, really, but then again... Johnny was not a large man. Trim and athletic, perhaps, but on the average to smallish side. He wouldn't worry anyone. The stun gun in his pocket, however, might.

He toyed with it longingly as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "I'm parked right over there," Johnny pointed his chin towards his car, parked just down the street. It was a late-model, silver sedan--just like countless others on the road--and appeared clean enough that one could perform major surgery on it if they saw fit.

[I'll correct it. I must have read the profile wrong. Or read the wrong one. sorries!

Edit: Read the wrong John! ^.^ So sorry love.]

The twelfth. Isabelle's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. Tomorrow was the second anniversary of her mother's death. Her face immediately fell and she looked up at the man. Maybe breakfast wasn't such a good idea. But she didn't feel like being alone. However, he was not her idea of company since she didn't know him. But he was being so kind and she'd feel rude now if she turned him down.

"Oh... my," she muttered softly but saying nothing more. She wasn't about to tell this man her life story. She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach and put a small, forced smile back on her face.

"Me too..." she shrugged as she began to follow him to his car. She was suddenly wishing she was at home, curled up on her couch with a cup of hot chocolate and some of those brownies she had cooked the night before. Maybe she'd invite her old roommate over. Or that boy across the hall...Claude.

"I'm sorry," she said, stopping suddenly, "Today's a bad day for breakfast at Harold's."

Johnny stopped as well, looking back at her with a slightly puzzled expression. "Well, sure. If you say so." He looked a little closer at her, noticing the change in her demeanor. "You all right? Something wrong?" Johnny asked, concern in his voice.

He leaned against the car. "I can drop you off somewhere, if you'd like." That was what polite, concerned people did, right?

OOC: Sorry so short...

Isabelle looked up at him. His face was so kind and concerned that she couldn't help but smile sadly at him.

"Nothing's wrong, really," she murmured, "It's just I've had this odd sinking feeling in my stomach all day and I only just realized what it was when you told me the date. It's a sad day tomorrow is all. But I'll be okay."

He offered her a ride and Isabelle considered turning it down. But he looked so genuinely concerned that she wanted to say yes. She didn't want to walk the long way home, all alone.

She shifted her bag on her shoulder and nodded, "That'd be great, but I don't want to put you out. Won't you be late for work?"

Johnny nodded sympathetically as he listened to her speak. "Oh... well I can understand that," he said kindly, as it seemed the natural thing to do. He offered a bolstering pat on the shoulder. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think it will," Johnny tried.

As she mentioned work, Johnny blinked with an 'oh, right' sort of expression. "You're right. Well, why don't you let me call you a cab? It'd be a weight off my conscience."

Isabelle nodded and gave him a smile. He was very kind and she felt slightly bad for weighing him down with her own problems. She almost wished they had met on a different day.

"Yeah maybe it won't be..."

She thought about it. She'd probably spend the whole day reading her mother's journal, or spreading out pictures of her. It was good to remember, to mourn and she was sure she'd feel better for it in the end.

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that. You shouldn't worry your head about me, though. I'll be alright. And maybe I'll...see you around sometime?"